Slices of life: Gardening course is woman's gift to herself

Mim Garey, 76, has been gardening since the age of 9 and always loves the opportunity to learn more about it. She has a paper pulp biocontainer with a young plant in it, and 3-year-old Copycat is ready to play in the soil.

A lifelong gardener, Mim Garey of Lower Alsace Township gave herself the gift of a biodegradable gardening class at Longwood Gardens in East Marlborough Township, Chester County, on March 8.

In the past, loved ones of Garey had given her the gift of paid memberships to Longwood Gardens, but after hearing about a course called "Breaking Down Biodegradable Garden Choices," she knew she owed herself the garden-swept gift of learning about this specific subject.

"It's very relaxing for me to do gardening, and I also like being outdoors and experimenting with plants," she said.

Garey is also a Master Gardener through the Berks County Office of the Penn State Extension and a member of the Berks County Horticultural Club.

The course at Longwood Gardens, hosted in the Catalpa Room, had about 15 attendees, Garey said.

While it lasted a few hours and covered a range of angles about biodegradable gardening options and recommendations for best results with plants and a healthy soil, the subject of biocontainers offered a uniquely sustainable and lesser-known topic.

As a means of getting away from dependence on plastic, speaker Matt Taylor explained the expanding choices for plant containers made of natural materials.

Some of the biocontainers mentioned at the class were pots made out of coco fiber, rice straw, dairy manure, paper pulp and rice hulls.

"They showed us how roots would protrude through some or spread to other nearby pots," Garey explained about drawbacks. "After eight weeks, the cowpot did the best, with 60 percent decomposition."

For other biocontainers in this study referenced by Taylor, most results illustrated a decomposition of around 30 percent or less.

The pots stay intact until they are planted into the ground or a larger outdoor pot. Once they join a soil setting, the roots begin to thrust outward more, and the biodegrading starts.

While finding biocontainers locally may still be a challenge, asking area garden centers to carry them or order them may be a possibility for bringing this more sustainable gardening choice into Berks County.

CowPots Manufacturing & Sales in East Canaan, Conn., markets composted cow manure pots, said Taylor, while Ivy Acres in Baiting Hollow, N.Y., sells straw pots created from rice straw, coconut husks and what they define as a natural latex adhesive.

According to the Ivy Acres website, straw pots break down in three to six months, helping to build an even more enriched compost blend in the soil while making small plastic pots no longer a necessity.

"We all have to lessen our impact on the environment and reduce our carbon footprint," Garey said about why she thinks using biocontainers and other biodegradable gardening approaches are important and valuable components in today's world.

Garey also pointed out that global warming is another reason people would benefit from beginning to live more sustainably.